Wolfsburg managing director Jörg Schmadtke is bothered by the approach of a league competitor. Image: dpa / Tom Weller
Bundesliga
The transfer window opens again in the Bundesliga on January 1st. The German professional clubs then have until January 31 at 6 p.m. to selectively strengthen their squad. However, the planning of the vast majority of clubs should already have started. And it can get pretty good at it.
In order to force a change, players regularly resort to unfair means. They don’t show up for training or threaten a strike – like Robert Lewandowski at Bayern or once Ousmane Dembélé and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at BVB.
Wolfsburg professional Josuha Guilavogui as a point of contention
But things can also get really rough at club level. That’s how Wolfsburg Managing Director Jörg Schmadtke is now VfB Stuttgart’s handling of Josuha Guilavogui’s staff was negative – and severely criticizes the league competitor for it.
Josuha Guilavogui has been with VfL Wolfsburg since 2014. Image: dpa / Swen gatekeeper
“This talk about one of our players and put him in the window with a price tag is not proper”criticizes Schmadtke in the “Wolfsburg General Newspaper“.
About the background: VfB Stuttgart and especially new coach Bruno Labbadia are very interested in Guilavogui signing. Both know and appreciate each other from days gone by.
The problem: however, VfB is not financially well equipped to take on the salary of the 32-year-old Frenchman. In addition, the team of new coach Bruno Labbadia only contacted the player and not the club – To the displeasure of the managing director of Wolfsburg.
Jörg Schmadtke criticizes Stuttgart’s transfer behavior
“If VfB Stuttgart is interested in a VfL player, then he should talk to us. Anything else is dishonest.”, rages on Schmadtke, who will resign as VfL boss at the end of January. The 58-year-old gets “this haggling pretty much on the pointer.” This has already been noted in Stuttgart.
Coach Niko Kovač (left) and managing director Jörg Schmadtke (right) are currently in charge of events in Wolfsburg.Image: imago/ regios24
Josuha Guilavogui has been under contract with VfL since 2014 and was also a regular player and even captain. In January 2022, a short loan followed in the French Ligue 1 to Girondins Bordeaux, in the current season he was just four times in the starting XI for Wolfsburg. According to reports, he can therefore well imagine a change within the league.
Turbulent days lie behind Benjamin Pavard. When France lost the World Cup final against Argentina, there were repeated rumors that the 26-year-old had broken with national coach Didier Deschamps and would cause a bad mood within the team.
